Label Spotlights

Get Physical’s founders have seen the music industry’s inner workings from every angle. Of its founders, Booka Shade, M.A.N.D.Y and DJ T. are accomplished in an impressive list of roles: DJ, Producer, club operator and Label owner, to name a few. It’s not difficult to see how this team was able to put together a collective of artists known for their impact on electronic music, and their passion for creating tracks to “hit the nerve of the boiling dance floor.” Designed to get you dancing, dive into Get Physical’s catalog.

Subterranean Pop, a fanzine started by college student Bruce Pavitt in 1986, was Sub Pop Records’ first incarnation. The zine’s written word gave way to bits of music as Pavitt created and sent compilation tapes between issues. Eventually Sub Pop released its first compilation LP, and an album from Green River. Next, Pavitt teamed up with Jonathan Poneman, who financed the first Soundgarden single and EP.

The two dedicated themselves to making Sub Pop a working label, shrewdly studying the success of other legendary labels and focusing on building the Seattle music scene (and Sub Pop’a brand). Then came releases from Mudhoney and Nirvana, and the Sub Pop Singles Club, which rewarded subscribers with a new single every month, ensuring they’d get one of the limited-release singles that frequently sold out in stores.

Twenty years later, Sub Pop has seen quite a bit of change, from the graduation of Seattle grunge to the adoption of bands like The Postal Service, Flight of the Conchords, The Shins and Fleet Foxes. They also weathered the switch from vinyl to cassettes and CDs to newer ways of listening to music, like Rdio. That’s why you’ll find Sub Pop Records’ music on Rdio, as well as their presence.

Follow Sub Pop on Rdio to see what they’re listening to right now. Plus, you won’t miss any of their great playlists, like Please Enjoy This Music, a playlist of bands Sub Pop is working with—some with records already out, and some from bands with new records coming soon.

For an impressively long list of artists who are or have been on Sub Pop Records, check SubPop.com or see what Wikipedia has to say. Follow @SubPop and Like them on Facebook for news about Sub Pop artists, albums, and touring information.

Most people don’t think about how music makes its way from musicians to the general public, for listening and enjoyment. High-schooler Aaron Turner, however, gave it some thought and decided to start Hydra Head Records. 18 years later, the Label is still representing heavy metal, and Turner added Isis frontman to his list of accomplishments. Keep reading for a primer on Hydra Head’s bands and musicians, which we have here on Rdio.

French independent label Pschent takes music very seriously. They’re best known for their Hôtel Costes music series—a selection curated by DJ Stéphane Pompougnac representing the Parisian hotel of the same name. Synonymous with chic, listen to a selection of their artists and albums here on Rdio—it may transport you to another world.

For a complete list of artists who are or have been on Pschent, check Pschent.com. Follow @pschent and Like them on Facebook for immediate updates on their new artists, albums, news and touring information.

Beyond putting out the works of unique and talented musicians, Righteous Babe Records can also say that they saved a New York landmark, the Asbury Delaware Methodist Church. Grammy-winning artist Ani DiFranco (and Righteous Babe Records’ Founder) wanted the Label to support her hometown’s growth and development. When that meant preserving this historic structure, they fought to rescue it from destruction, and have since turned it into a multi-purpose venue and headquarters for artists, musicians, and the people of Buffalo, NY. Check out their amazing story on the Babeville website, and enjoy their musical catalog on Rdio.

For a complete list of artists who are or have been on Righteous Babe Records, check Wikipedia or RighteousBabe.com. Like them on Facebook for immediate updates on their new artists, albums, news and touring information.

Slim Moon wanted a way to put out music and spoken-word works, of both his and his friends’ creation, so he founded Kill Rock Stars. The unassuming beginnings of this artist-driven project have grown into the female-run Indie Label that carries the likes of influential singer-songwriter Elliot Smith, The Decemberists’ early albums, and Thao & Mirah’s just-released debut. You can read all about their evolution (including the origin of the Label’s name) on the Kill Rock Stars timeline while checking out their expansive list of artists on Rdio.

For a complete list of artists who are or have been on Kill Rock Stars, check Wikipedia or Kill Rock Stars. Follow @KRSStaff and Like them on Facebook for immediate updates on their new artists, albums, news and touring information.

Entrepreneurship isn’t often mentioned outside the context of technology, but from entrepreneurship (or at least a college class about it), Saddle Creek Records was born. Undergoing personnel and even a name change, the label grew to be known and respected for both its small-town, earthy “Omaha Sound” and for its roster of loosely-related bands and musicians. Originally releasing Conor Oberst’s (Bright Eyes) music, they also signed other bands from Omaha, Nebraska and in 2001, started signing musicians regardless of their location.

Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen, friends since kindergarten, took their passion for music and transformed it from a basement project to a successful international Label. Since 1996, the duo has remained dedicated to putting out the best music they can find. Their impressive roster of artists isn’t bound by genre or style—queue up any of their artists, from guitar-strumming soloists like Loudon Wainwright III to electronic indie pop like The Apples in Stereo. Check out their website to get a taste of what this soulful label has to offer.

Started over 40 years ago by three college friends, Rounder Records has a long heritage of supporting historically important music and recordings. Broadly covering Americana—blues, jazz, folk and beyond—they’re also known for releasing the work of Alan Lomax, an ethnomusicologist who did field recordings all over the country and the world. If you really want the long read on Rounder’s storied history, there’s a 2008 book about the Label called, The Never-Ending Revival: Rounder Records and the Folk Alliance.”

Rdio is a social jukebox with over 30 million songs to discover, play, and share. Play what you want, when you want, or turn on a station for a perfect mix of songs. Listen anywhere — the web, your phone, even offline — and follow friends and artists to see what they’re playing.